Bellini Cocktail Recipe | A Sparkling Peach Delight

Belini in glas

The Bellini cocktail may be the most delightful cocktail of them all. With just two ingredients (peach purée and Prosecco), it’s easy to craft. It’s also bubbly, sweet and peachy. Plus, it’s pleasantly pink. And who doesn’t like pink cocktails?

Bellini and Peaches

We’ll never forget the first time that we sipped Bellini cocktails at Harry’s Bar in Venice for a few reasons. First, we were in the exact spot where the Bellini was invented. Second, it tasted wonderful. And third, each Bellini cost us 22 euros.

Sure, that’s a bit pricey for one seemingly simple drink. But don’t forget that the Bellini is nearly as famous as the century-old bar. While we don’t typically spend money on pricey cocktails, drinking a Bellini at Harry’s is something you just do and evaluate later. We left Venice with no regrets in this regard.

Bottled Bellini from Cipriani in a Supermarket
We found these blue Cipriani Bellini bottles at a Lisbon grocery store.

Lately, we’ve been crafting Bellinis at home since white peaches are in peak season. As we’ve quickly learned, the key to a great Bellini is speed. This is an ala minute drink that’s a sight to behold if done quickly and with the freshest ingredients.

And, when it’s no longer summer, we can still drink Bellinis. However, instead of crafting them at home, we can buy pre-made Bellini cocktails at the grocery store. Hooray!

What Is the Bellini Cocktail?

Bellini with Black Background
Although the Bellini is a popular brunch drink, it tastes great at any time of the day or night.

The Bellini is a two-ingredient cocktail crafted with peach purée and Prosecco. However, if you want to be technical, it’s actually a four-ingredient cocktail since the purée is made with fresh white peaches, lemon juice and simple syrup.

Regardless of the ingredient count, there’s do debate that the Bellini is a classic Italian cocktail that’s also a spritz. Other words to describe the Bellini are elegant, fruity and fun.

Discover more Italian cocktails.

History of the Bellini

Bellini at Harrys Bar in Venice
We drank this Bellini at Harry’s Bar in Venice. It’s one of the world’s most famous drinks.

We weren’t the first to sip Bellini cocktails in Venice and we won’t be the last. People have been sipping the peach and Prosecco spritz since 1948. That’s the year that Giuseppe Cipriani concocted the sparkling white wine cocktail at Harry’s Bar with a simple recipe – two parts Prosecco and one part white peach purée.

It didn’t take long for the Bellini to become famous throughout Italy and beyond. While it’s still served at the original Harry’s Bar in Venice as well as at Cipriani locations around the world, the Bellini isn’t limited to those spots. It’s easy to find the peachy cocktail on menus at most bars as well as at many restaurants that serve brunch.

Fun Fact
Harry’s Bar also gets credit for serving the original version of beef carpaccio.

Bartender at Harrys Bar in Venice
Watching the bartenders at Harry’s Bar in action is part of the iconic bar’s experience.

You may be wondering why Cipriani called his inspired recipe a Bellini instead of a Cipriani or even a Harry. Apparently, he got his inspiration from another Venetian – the artist Giovanni Bellini. Bellini’s San Zaccaria Altarpiece features an angel playing a violin wearing a rich peach/pink robe. Once you see the striking painting, you’ll understand Cipriani’s inspiration.

If you’ve been to Venice, you’ve probably walked by Harry’s Bar. The bar’s location, about a block from Piazza San Marco, makes it difficult to miss. Open since 1931, it’s located next to the Hotel Monaco, right by the Grand Canal.

And, if you’re like us, you channeled legends, past and present, including Humphrey Bogart, George Clooney, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles by simply walking inside the bar’s art deco space.

Bellini Ingredients

Prosecco with Peaches
The two main Bellini ingredients are white peaches and Prosecco.

You only need the following four ingredient to craft authentic Bellini cocktails at home:

  • Prosecco
  • White Peaches
  • Lemon Juice
  • Simple Syrup

Don’t give up if white peaches aren’t in season. We won’t judge you if you use yellow peaches or frozen peaches instead. However, you may need to doctor the drink with a bit of raspberry juice or Chambord, a raspberry liqueur, to achieve a pretty pink color.

Prosecco

Bellini and Prosecco Bottle
Prosecco is the correct sparkling white wine for the Bellini recipe.

While any sparkling wine would technically work in this recipe, we recommend using a good quality Italian Prosecco. After all, the Bellini is an Italian cocktail.

We like to use extra dry Prosecco produced by Albino Armani in the Veneto. As a bonus, any leftover Prosecco tastes good on its own.

Discover more sparkling wine cocktails.

Peach Purée

Peach Puree
We like to make extra peach purée and you’ll want to do the same. It tastes great in smoothies and on top of vanilla ice cream.

Peach purée is easy to whip up with peaches, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. For this recipe, the best peaches are white peaches.

We like to use Pessego Paragayo peaches (i.e. Paraguayan peaches). In America, these peaches would likely be called donut peaches. However, we choose to call them bagel peaches since we love bagels even more than we love donuts.

How to Craft a Bellini Cocktail

Bellini Mise en Place
Crafting a Bellini at home is both easy and fun with just a few ingredients and a couple basic bar tools.

You don’t need any special bar tools to craft a Bellini. In our recipe, we like to use the following two basic bar tools.

Neither of these bar tools is required to craft a Bellini cocktail at home. That being said, you’ll look ‘pro’ if you use tools like these.

Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.

Bellini with Pink Background
Plan to start sipping soon after you start our Bellini recipe.

The first step in this Bellini recipe is to make the peach purée. Start by cutting two medium or four small unpeeled white peaches in half. Discard the pits.

While some recipes specify that the peaches should be peeled, we like the color and texture that the peel provides. Just like we won’t judge you if you use yellow or frozen peaches, we also won’t judge you if you choose to peel your peaches.

Put the halved peaches, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup into a blender. Blend at high speed until the ingredients form a purée.

Pro Tip
Taste the purée while it’s in the blender to see if you want to add any additional lemon juice or simple syrup.

Immediately pour the peach purée and Prosecco into a shaker or mixing glass.

Pro Tip
Do not dilly-dally after you make the purée as it will quickly turn brown.

Pouring Prosecco into Bellini
We measured our Prosecco for accuracy.

Stir for about 5 seconds.

Gently stirring the the mixture transforms the peach purée and Prosecco into a Bellini.

Pour the Bellini into your prettiest flute or champagne glass. We bought Riedel champagne wine glasses for this and other cocktail recipes but simple flutes work just fine.

Pouring Bellini into a Champagne Wine Glass
We briefly paused to admire its pink hue when we poured this Bellini into a champagne wine glass.

Feel free to top of the Bellini with additional Prosecco. Spoon off any extra foam.

Spoon in a Bellini
Spooning off extra foam provided this Bellini’s finishing touch.

No garnishes are necessary though you may want to add peach slice or two.

Bellini Drink Alternatives

Bellini Ingredients and Blender
Get creative if you’re missing any Bellini ingredients.

Giuseppe Cipriani’s recipe is pretty perfect on its own. However, here are some ways that you can make the recipe your own:

  • Add a splash of peach schnapps to craft a peachier Bellini.
  • Add a splash of raspberry juice or raspberry liqueur to craft a pinker Bellini.
  • Replace the Prosecco with another sparkling wine like Cava or Champagne if you don’t have Prosecco on hand.
  • Replace the Prosecco with sparkling water or sparkling cider to craft a non-alcoholic Bellini.
  • Replace the peach purée with orange juice to craft a Mimosa.

Bellini FAQs

What is a Bellini cocktail?

A Bellini is sparkling white wine cocktail crafted with peach purée and Prosecco.

How does a Bellini compare to a Mimosa.

The Bellini and Mimosa are both two-ingredient sparkling wine cocktails. While the Bellini is made with peach purée and Prosecco, the Mimosa is made with orange juice and Champagne.

Where was the Bellini invented?

The Bellini was invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy.

What are the ingredients in a Bellini?

Prosecco and Peach Purée

Is the Bellini made with vodka?

No. A traditional Bellini is made with peach purée and Prosecco.

What is the best sparkling wine for a Bellini cocktail?

Since the Bellini is an Italian cocktail, Prosecco is the best sparkling wine.

Is the Bellini shaken or stirred?

The Bellini is shaken, not stirred.

Bellini Recipe

Ingredients

Peach Purée

  • 2 medium (or 4 small) ripe white peaches, unpeeled, pitted and halved
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons simple syrup

Instructions

  1. Prepare peach purée by liquifying white peaches, lemon juice and simple sugar in a blender.
  2. Immediately pour two ounces of the peach purée into a shaker or mixing glass. Add six ounces of Prosecco and stir for 5 seconds.
  3. Pour into a flute or champagne wine glass.
  4. Optionally top off with an additional splash of Prosecco.

Notes

  1. Act quickly once you turn off the blender as the peach purée will quickly turn brown.
  2. Optionally garnish with a fresh peach wedge.

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About the Authors

About the Authors

Daryl & Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.

Disclosures

Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.

Funding
We purchased the ingredients and tools used to craft this cocktail.

Original Publication Date: July 21, 2023

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